None.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a crankcase ventilation system in an internal combustion engine, and more particularly, to a crankcase ventilation system for a turbocharger internal combustion engine for increasing pressure to properly ventilate crankcase gases.
Internal combustion engines, which may be gasoline or diesel powered, produce combustion gas which is blown out of an engine combustion chamber into a crankcase through a small clearance between a piston and a cylinder. Additionally, compressed air may leak through oil seals to be circulated within the crankcase. This results in blow-by gas being produced within the crankcase which requires venting. The blow-by gas consists of a pressurized mixture of air, exhaust gas, and oil. The blow-by gas causes deterioration of engine lubricating oil within the crankcase and oil seals within the engine. If the blow-by gas is left unvented and the oil seals are allowed to deteriorate, then engine oil will leak through the engine and into the exhaust system. Sufficient ventilation of the blow-by gas is required and is typically accomplished by use of an eductor tubing. An eductor tubing is connected between the crankcase of the engine and the exhaust stack. The eductor tubing provides a vacuum which vents blow-by gas from the crankcase to the exhaust stack. However, over time, due to engine wear, deterioration of parts within the engine, and other conditions, the vacuum created with use of the eductor tubing decreases due to the increase in the volume of air and gas in the crankcase. The vacuum created decreases to such an extent that the blow-by gas may not be properly ventilated from the crankcase. If this persists, then damage may occur to the engine in the form of damage to the crankcase pan, oil leaking or being burned into the atmosphere, or complete engine failure. In order to prevent the decrease in vacuum due to engine wear or other factors, it would be advantageous to compensate for this decrease in vacuum.
Briefly stated, a crankcase ventilation system for a turbocharged internal combustion engine is provided which comprises an internal combustion engine having a crankcase for holding lubricating oil and receiving blow-by gas and an exhaust stack for receiving exhaust gas from the engine and directing it away from the engine, a turbocharger for providing a supply of pressurized combustion air to the engine, eductor tubing connected between the crankcase and the exhaust stack for ventilating the crankcase, and a conduit extending between the pressurized side of the turbocharger to a point adjacent the eductor tubing for directing pressurized gas to flow in fluid communication with the eductor tubing for increasing vacuum.
In one aspect, a crankcase ventilation system for a turbocharger internal combustion engine is provided which comprises an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and an exhaust stack, a turbocharger for providing a supply of pressurized combustion air to the engine, eductor tubing connected between the crankcase and the exhaust stack for creating vacuum for ventilating the crankcase, and a conduit for directing a portion of the pressurized air from the turbocharger to flow in fluid communication with the eductor tubing for increasing vacuum.
In another aspect, a kit for retrofitting a turbocharger internal combustion engine having a crankcase, an exhaust stack, a turbocharger for providing a supply of pressurized intake air to the engine, and eductor tubing connected between the crankcase and the exhaust stack for ventilating the crankcase is provided which comprises a conduit for connecting between the turbocharger and to a point adjacent the eductor tubing, the conduit having a first end and a second end, and a connector for connecting the first end of the conduit to the turbocharger and a second connector for connecting the second end of the conduit to eductor tubing.
A method for increasing crankcase vacuum for a turbocharger internal combustion engine having a crankcase, an exhaust stack, a turbocharger for providing a supply of pressurized intake air to the engine, and eductor tubing connected between the crankcase and the exhaust stack for ventilating the crankcase is provided which comprises directing combustion air from the turbocharger to flow in fluid communication with the eductor tubing for increasing vacuum.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.